Hand tool for inserting insulating strips



Nov. 13, 1945. F. s. KUNDTZ' HAND TOOL FOR INSERTING INSULATING STRIPS Filed Sept. 25, 1944 1N V EN TOR.

HiA/v/r 5. KUNDTZ ATTOHNE Y Patented Nov. 13, 1945 14,@ UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE I l y51.10.0.11.FoI,t,gli;slzlNo INSULATING I I Frank 'S. Kundtz,

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tion of Ohio f 1 l sTRIPs Y Cleveland, Ohio,y assigner -to & Heintz, Inc., Bedfordt` Ohio, a'corpora- Appiicatipn ,september 25 1944. :Serial N9- 185552743 i, mm', (orcs-27o) This invention relates to hand tools and has v for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive,

compact and eicient hand tool that will be suitable for inserting members in inaccessible openings such as inserting thin fragile and bendable insulating paper strips between adjacent stator coils or the like in electrical devices.

It is necessary to insert these thin strips of paper-like insulation between these closely adjacent coils and it is tedious and time consuming, if not impossible to manually push flexible paper strips between the coils because the strips bend, wrinkle or break due to their lack of structural stiffness.

To this end it is proposed to provide a hand tool comprising a tubular barrel having a slidable rod therein. The barrel has a thin metallic strip anchored to the closed end of the barrel and extending past the open end thereof. The rod is formed with a slot the full length thereof to slidably receive the metallic strip. The rod at its outer end is bevelled to form a wedge to be inserted between the coils while the rod is in extended position, with a single insulating strip in the slot in the rod, the outer end of the insulator being flush with the outer end of the rod and the inner end resting on the outer end of the metallic strip. The wedge acts as a spreader for the coils and a manual retraction of the rod into the barrel causes the metallic strip to act as a plunger to push the insulating strip to its full length between the coils without fracture or bending. Other features will appear in further detail in the following specification and appended claim and in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal section taken throughthe hand tool showing the sliding rod in extended position in the barrel with the insulating strip within the slot and the plunger for pushing the strip in retracted position prior to insertion between the stator coils;

Figure 2 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 taken at right angles thereto; and

Figure 3 is a view in longitudinal section taken through the barrel of the tool from the same angle as Figure 2, showing the plunger in side elevation and in retracted position in the barrel? Figure 4 is a view in section taken along `line 4--4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a view in section taken along line 5 5 of Figure 2; and

Figure 6 is a View in front elevation of the device as viewed in Figure 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawing,

the hand :i991 may-.gemse a barrel .l -fclgsed .at

@r1.6 .6nd .by ,an internally fitted plug l2 which'is transversely slotted to receive the inner endfof a strip of metal 3, the plug and strip being further anchored to the barrel by a pin 4 extending through the barrel, plug-and strip. Arranged interiorly for longitudinal movement within the barrel is a rod 5 with an enlarged flange 6 for sliding engagement with the larger bore of the barrel while the smaller bore receives the rod for sliding engagement. T he shoulder 1 forms a limit for outward movement of flange 6 while the inner limit is the plug 2.

The rod 5 is formed with a longitudinal slot 8 extending the length of the rod. This slot is formed by cutting through one side of the rod and plugging up the open side with a metal filler strip 9 retained therein by pins I4. The resulting slot 8 is suiciently wide to receive the plunger strip 3 in sliding relation as well as the insulating strip I0 which is of the same width and thickness as the plunger strip 3.

The rod, at its outer end is tapered at I I to provide a wedge-shaped point and on one side is recessed to form an abutment shoulder I2, while the other side is tapered at I3. The ller strip 9 extends rearwardly from the abutmentshoulder I2 toward the right the remaining length of rod 5.

In operation, the rod 5 is pulled into extended position, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and the insulating strip loosely inserted in slot 8 of the rod until its lower end abuts the forward end of the plunger strip 3 and its outer end is ush with the outer end of the slot past the abutment I2 and the outer end of filler strip 9 so that it may be visible for this portion of its length.

The wedge end of the rod 5 is then inserted between the stator coils of the electrical device to a limit prescribed by the abutment shoulder I2. This temporarily spreads the stator coils sufficiently for the desired purposes. The barrel I within the grasp of one hand of the operator is then shoved forward. This brings about a retraction of the rod 5 within the barrel. As this occurs the flexible metallic strip 3 rides relatively orwardly in slot 8 of the rod and acts as a plunger to insert the insulating strip I0 between the coils in the space :made temporarily ample for such purposes by the spreading action of the rod wedge tip.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there has been provided a simple and inexpensive hand tool whose wedge tip may be readily inserted between closely adjacent stator coils to temporarily spread thorn sufficiently to receive a thin frangible insulating strip. Moreover, a simple oper A ation of the tool to bring about relative movea hollow barrel and a rod mounted to b e slidable therein, a metallic plungerstrip anchored to said,

barrel, said rod being longitudinally slotted to receive said plunger strip for itszfulfl length when Y assente distance between the outer end of the plunger strip and the outer end of said slot, said rod having its outer end tapered to provide a wedge for manual insertion and spreading stator coils of an electrical device stator, said tapered end being eut away to provide an abutment shoulder for said stator coils, said plunger strip, upon retractio'ofsaidrodwithin said barreLbeing' adapted to force said insulating strip freely into a position between said stator coils temporarily spread rapart by the wedge action of said tapered forf'ward end of said rod, said slot in .said rod being g cut through one side Wall thereof and covered by said rod is inretracted position Within said bar:

rel, said rod being adapted when in -vextended position to receive an insulating strip of approxil`mately the Y same Width and thickness .of the l:plunger strip andof a length determined by the ,afller strip of Va length extending from said abutment shoulder to the inner end of said rod leaving said slot in the side wall open from said abutment shoulder to the tip of said tapered portion for inspection purposes to determine Whether the insulating strip is in the tool prior to operation of the tool.

' e l S. KUNDTZ. 

